Quote

"What we learn from history is that people don't learn from history."
-Warren Buffet

Really? Really? Broken Glass Update

My last post discussed the sliding glass door that suffered a shattered pane during transport. A local repair company quoted $207 to repair. I paid $296 for the whole door. Lowe's, where I bought the door, referred me to Pella.

Pella suggested that I could go back to Lowes and work through them and likely pay as much for a whole new slider as I did the entire door. Or, Mike at Pella offered to send me a whole new slider for free! I graciously accepted and then clarified that the damage was not their fault, but wholly mine. He graciously acknowledged and proceeded to process the order for a new door at no cost. He even declined my offer to pay for shipping.

I'm not sure if this is standard procedure for Pella or if Mike simply enjoyed my deep sexy voice and wanted to hear me squeal like a pig (which I almost did) in disbelief. Either way, Christmas came early today! Thank you Pella and may your business endeavors be fruitful.

Shipping Container Landing in Montello!

The shipping container has landed in Montello! The timetable for delivery was rushed in anticipation of deep snow and the inability to access the property in the coming weeks. The planned modifications are not complete, but the fireplace, two sleeping bunks, roof support beams, and sliding glass door will provide the needed basics for successful subsequent outings.

Paul transported the container on his amazing truck and gently placed it in the hole. The placement was slightly off one of the railroad ties, which Paul could have easily corrected by repositioning, but we had Curt and his backhoe on scene so it made more sense to chain it up and slide it over the needed foot or so. The railroad tie idea worked out wonderfully with the container resting level on all sides without any need for tweaking.

Mike (like minded fellow in too many ways from Logan) and I placed the foam board insulation as Curt backfilled the sides and roof. I used two inch thick foam board (R10) on the sides and four inches (R20) on the roof. Six mil plastic sheeting was placed between the dirt and the foam board on the roof as an additional moisture barrier. I'm hoping to keep the container from rusting through for at least 2/3's of a lifetime (the rest of mine)!

The only hiccup in the day came early on after opening the container doors to find one of the sliding glass door panes had shattered during transport. Two loud, quick, and slightly separated F-bombs later (and a few PBR's) and I was back into the blissful moment of the Montello dream! I have to thank Mike and Curt for jumping on this problem and keeping me from thinking about it. They lifted the door out, Mike cleaned up the glass, and then reinstalled the perfectly good single pane sliding glass door. Thanks again for all your hard work fellas!!!

As the sun set and the cold really started to bite, Mike fired up the wood burning stove to help all of us thaw out as we enjoyed great conversation, evening southern skies, and the amazing serenity of the desert.

As is now seemingly tradition, the day was capped off with a Cowboy Burger at the Cowboy Bar. Good day brethren, good day!

Many, many, many thanks to Win!!!!

Thanks for driving out into the middle of nowhere Paul

Mike watching as Curt slides the container over

Mike removing glass fragments from the door

Curt and Mike

Shipping Container

Yesterday, a shipping container made its way to my driveway. I'm not quite sure how it got there....at least that's the story the city code enforcement officers are going to get!!!

This is a 20 foot new (one trip across the ocean) shipping container. It measures eight feet wide by 8'6" tall and 20 feet long. It weighs just under 5,000 pounds and is incredibly solid! The floors are constructed of 1.25 inch thick marine grade plywood and are beautifully dark. There is evidence of forklift travel into and out of the container, but nothing compared to other used containers that have been in service for 8 to 10 years. The floors will remain as is, with perhaps a little buffing.

This morning the crane showed up early and plucked the container off the trailer and set it in place for the construction process to begin. I spent many hours inside of it today laying out the floor plan. Wood burning stove, toilet, shower, kitchen, built in tables, and sleeping bunks for four adults. That's the plan anyway. Enjoy the pics!

Thanks for the Montello pics "A"

"A" introduced himself the other night via the blog as a fellow Montello land owner. He followed up one of his emails with an excellent selection of photos that I am excited to post. Thanks again "A", I look forward to exchanging more emails and bumping into you in Montello.









The clump of trees/development in the middle left third of the above pic is Montello. I'm out there somewhere in the middle.




Sometimes, when you tire of castles in the air, you're left with a clear dream of hills with sage and it becomes a place you don't mind living, even till you die - Perhaps they'll understand if you tell it to them plain - Either way, out here the music doesn't play for the cocktail generation who is forced to waltz, devoid of all romance - this is my second chance. And thanks again to "A" for the visual reminder!

Geoff and Ellen

My thoughts, prayers, and heart are with you.

Backhoe Excavation with C

I ran out to Montello early this morning on a day trip to prep the ground for the shipping container. I hired C to move the dirt around with his backhoe. Between his skills on the machine and the sheer power of the machine itself, he totally prepped the site in about an hour. I am still amazed at how quickly the work moved along.

With plenty of time left in the day, C jumped on the task of back dragging a huge circular drive on the property. I genuinely needed to build a road (driveway) from the jeep trail to the home site. But, after seeing how efficiently C worked on the first part of the driveway, I figured why not do a huge circle so my kids can have a loop to ride their bikes around! All said, both projects were complete in two hours!!!

I am very impressed with C's skill and equipment and I highly recommend him for your project. He'll certainly be returning to help place the container and do the backfill work! With the excavation complete, C and I headed over to the Cowboy Bar for lunch and ordered their world famous Cowboy Burger....yes, AGAIN!!! Once again, they came through with an excellent sandwich and a few ice cold beers.

After lunch and a great conversation with C, I headed back to the property to level railroad ties for the container to rest on. In the middle of digging I realized that there is nothing like being alone...really, truly alone. I was miles from anyone, I was talking out loud to self, and I was having a great time. Occasionally I would look up in remembrance of where I was and take in the surrounding beauty of the landscape....all the while enjoying the serenity of solid quiet and hard work. Thanks again C, the Cowboy, and Montello!

All of the pics are of the completed project.


The above pic is looking North at the hole where the shipping container will sit.


This pic is looking South and shows the piles of dirt that will be backfilled around the container.



Here's an Eastward looking shot of me peering into the hole as the last scoop or two is being excavated. Part of the circular race track (driveway) can be seen in the background. Also, notice C's transit in the background which is used to ensure the project stays within tolerances.



This Northwest view is of the Jeep and trailer resting where the container will eventually sit. If I weren't so distracted with a "broken zipper" at the time, I might have appreciated the view! Thanks for the IN-ACTION photo C!!!...hahahaha



This Westward looking pic gives more of an overall perspective of the project. I'm giving C a thumbs up for a job well done while thanking God for my closest neighbor (that white spec in the background above the right most dirt pile). I've heard tall fences make for good neighbors....I think same or more applies to miles of separation.

Thanks for the photos C!

Also, please note...in an earlier blog entry I referenced making contact with an excavator. C is not the same guy. I decided to go with C because his equipment is larger and is the exact size of the backhoes I used to work around doing road construction. The price per hour is more with C's larger equipment, but I'm certain it was worth it for this project and my needs. Thus, there are at least two guys in Montello with backhoes for hire. Send me an email for C's contact information at m*ntell**ffgrid@gmail.c*m replace all the asterisks with the letter "o".

What is Montello.....to me?

The mental image of my life in Montello, surely conjured up on difficult days, is highly reflected in this poem by Ryokan, perhaps the best loved buddhist poet of Japan.

Too Lazy to be ambitious

Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;
a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.

Short Term Shelter – Long Term Portability

In a previous post I discussed plans for using a shipping container for quick and easy shelter. That plan has not changed. However, I am becoming hesitant to leave anything of value in the shipping container unattended for weeks on end. And, I need a more livable and immediate solution while preparing the site to receive the container.

SOLUTION: modified teardrop trailer. I make my living by doing whatever I want to do on most days. I make money to finance my living by producing teardrop trailer RV's. After my current teardrop trailer build is off the production line, I will be starting a new build for me. I'll be building a 5x8 Teardrop RV to specifications that will allow this trailer to function as a tool for building the dream in Montello.

In addition to the teardrop features currently offered, this teardrop trailer will have higher ground clearance, independent wheel travel, aluminum side walls, large front storage rack, 110 gallons of water hauling capability, solar panels, and a 12 volt battery system. Prior to the shipping containers arrival, this small RV will provide many of the luxuries my family needs during extended visits. After the shipping containers arrival, the teardrop will function as a cargo trailer by hauling the high priced infrastructure back to Utah where I can keep an eye on it. I'm looking forward to this project and I hope you'll follow along as I update its progress in future posts.

Montello Backhoe for Hire

I've made contact with a back hoe owner / operator who lives in Montello, Nevada and is willing to take on work at the rate of $75 an hour. I plan to use his services in the coming months for excavation work on the property. I can not yet give a referral regarding the quality of work he does, but I will do so in a subsequent blog post after working with him. I neglected to get his permission to post his contact information for all to see. So, let me know if you need his info and I'll email it to you. My email address is as follows:

m*ntell**ffgrid@gmail.com

For every asterisk above, please insert the letter "o". I don't want my email address being harvested by the spambots!!!

Also, if you ever need anything in Montello, the Cowboy Bar or Saddle Sore Bar are the best places to start asking. I started at the Cowboy and found a fellow who was more than willing to help with information. Thanks Montello!

Off Grid, not off the rocker!

If you are or would like to be self employed, this book is a must read. Thanking my buddy Kristian for the referral, I read this book in less than 24 hours (292 pages). I'm not bragging. In fact, I'm not even much of a reader. I haven't finished a book in the last, well it has been a long time. I loved this book! If for no other reason, pick it up to understand his business model. Timothy has put a lot of thought and effort into getting his life exactly the way he wants it. I thought working 8.5 hours per week was somewhat of a benchmark. Compared to this guy, I have some serious catching up to do! The race is on Tim!

My favorite is the warning on the back cover that reads - WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU WANT TO QUIT YOUR JOB

Living off grid in the high desert and working four hours per week to maintain the lifestyle! Get the book....http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/

Quote

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain

Corner Post - unofficial survey - MONTELLO SMILES

This is the northwest corner post on our property. My brother and I camped overnight back in May and placed the post markers using GPS. I suppose I talked a good bit about how big the property is, so the girls wanted to walk the perimeter and feel it for themselves. Those poor kids look abused. Get them back to the city!!!!

The unofficial survey was completed using two hand held GPS units and two trips with boots on the ground. I don't have plans to perimeter the property with fence, so this less precise survey method will suffice for my needs. I figure I'm within 15 to 20 feet of being spot on, thus, I will hold all development 50 feet inside the property lines and call it good. It took some time to calculate the coordinates, but with already owning the GPS units, the survey price was right!

Finding land for sale in Montello is easy enough on the internet. However, actually locating the land for sale and attempting to put your feet on the soil is another story. The BLM came through and surveyed the valley back in the 80's (I think) and did a good job of placing corner markers on every square mile of land. However, these corners markers are cryptic at best if you are new to surveying. Additionally, your land won't have a traditional address to plug into Mapquest. You will receive a property description that reads something like this...

Section 21 Township 39N Range 69E, M.D.B.&M.; SE4 SE4 SW4

The above description is the only way to uniquely identify your property. Cryptic as it may appear, it actually is quite efficient and tells a surveyor everything they need to know to start work. At $1500 to $2500, they will be able to precisely locate your properties corners.

Let me know if you find yourself in Montello and can't find your land. I'm not a certified surveyor, but I can help you with rough GPS coordinates. More precise coordinates can be supplied after visiting your section of ground and establishing the section corners.

Cowboy Bar and Cafe - Montello, NV

I love this bar! Admittedly, I loved it more for the cafe. Both times I've eaten there I came in with an appetite and they cured my hunger. The first go round I ordered their famous Cowboy Burger. I'm always skeptical of signs on buildings that read "famous this" or "famous that", especially on hole in the wall joints in the middle of nowhere. Famous or not, their Cowboy Burger was one of the top two burgers I've had...lifetime! They are HUGE, they come with all the fixin's and a healthy portion of fries. I'm the kind of guy that sticks with a good thing, so my second go round a couple months later called for another famous Cowboy Burger. Two times in a row...they nailed it!

I'm not much of a bar scene kind of guy, but I really did enjoy this bar. The service was outstanding, the waitress/bar tender proved super friendly (she loved her job and it showed), and the beer was ice cold, like it should be! I can't wait to see what it's like on a Saturday night. The crystal ball on the ceiling suggests there's some fun to be had.

While you're waiting for your food, you have to check out the wall of pictures in the back. My favorite is of the enormous elk with a Geo Metro strapped underneath him! Rather, enormous dead elk strapped to the top of a tiny Geo Metro. Desert folks get shit done!

Well done Cowboy Bar and Cafe! I look forward to many more burgers in my future.

I horked the above pic from another website. Let me know if you're pissed and I'll take it down and replace it with another the next time I'm in town with my camera.

The Park - Another Visit!

I'm feeling another visit to Montello coming on in a strong way. I feel so connected out there and free to be me. Browsing through some pictures from the last trip, I found this one of the park in town. Honestly, I was very surprised to see Montello has a park. My first two trips through town I missed it and I didn't get the feeling the town was kid friendly. My kids and dog ran all over the place out there and had a great time. We enjoyed grilling hot dogs, fresh berries, and root beer afterwards. Thank you Montello! We all loved it.

Thanks for the quote Dad!

You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

Adrian Rogers, 1931



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Cooking Economically Off Grid...and many other things

My previous post explored the economy of a grain based diet, but neglected my favorite cooking process. Rather than write up the entire cooking process, I'll direct you to a link that does a pretty good job without any labor on my part.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2275972_cook-thermos-save-energy-money.html

Thermos cooking. I do things slightly different from the article. I do not pre-heat the thermos and I fill the thermos to the top with boiling water. I let the wheat cook overnight and it comes out ready to eat by morning. I like cooking wheat in the thermos because it is difficult to over cook. Pasta and rice also cook very well in a thermos, but they are easier to over cook.

I also use the Aladdin Stanley thermos as viewed in the following link:

http://www.stanley-pmi.com/shop/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=10-00311-001

This thermos can be found at Wal-mart, but you must go to the sporting goods department.

The beauty of this system is derived from ease of production, clean up, and energy conservation.

Production: pour one cup (or less) of raw wheat in thermos, fill thermos with boiling water, seal, and lay the thermos on its side until morning.

Clean up: rinse out thermos

Energy Conservation: the energy usage is halted after the water comes to a boil. No additional energy is expended.

Does this really work? YES. In fact, I'll caution you to keep all fingers clear of the water stream when pouring out the extra water in the morning. It is still scalding HOT after 10 hours! I've heard of some people drinking the excess liquid as wheat tea! It's not my favorite, but I'm guessing there are plenty of vitamins in the tea.

Here is a link to the website where I originally learned of this cooking method. I do not agree with many of the authors ideas, but I do enjoy his perspective on preparedness and economy. Thanks Kurt!

http://www.kurtsaxon.com/foods005.htm

Hopefully this cooking method will save the installation of a solar panel or help keep your propane bill to a minimum. Also, the Aladdin Stanley Thermos is nearly indestructible. My father in law works in a steel mill and has abused his thermos extensively, including a three story fall onto concrete. It is the same thermos he bought in the 70's and uses today. It's also the same thermos I used to test the wheat cooking idea, as I was skeptical to run out and invest $25 if it wasn't going to work. Enjoy the savings!

Food Economy - 3.1 cent per meal

Tri-Tip Roast, slow smoked, heavily salted. Heaven in a mouthful and I'll never pass it up, especially when prepared by my friend Lynn.

I've been on an efficiency adventure for the past few years. I've switched to compact fluorescents, I ride my bike and walk more, I dabble in composting food and yard waste, and I continually seek out new ways to make my life easier and less tied to the labor of earning currency. Please don't misunderstand me, I love the luxury that money provides, I'm just not always willing to pay the price to have it. With these ideas as the backdrop, I turn my thoughts to protein. This spring our family purchased four chickens to serve as productive pets. My kids enjoy the daily treasure hunt of egg gathering and I enjoy having animals that do something other than rack up $400 vet bills and require $35 a bag food. I particularly love the chickens appetite for cold, dried out rice that has been in the refrigerator for days. These little animals turn all of my waste into perfectly packaged bundles of protein!

In addition to feeding the chickens table scraps, I supplement their diet with wheat, barley, and corn. I appreciate the chickens contribution to our recycling effort, but I started thinking today about their role as a middle man. Where wheat, barley, and corn are concerned, I question why I am using the chickens to convert these raw foods into another form of food? My body is plenty capable of transforming wheat, barley, and corn into energy without first converting it into an egg. If I include rice and beans in my diet, then my protein needs are met, on the cheap. Thus, why the chicken?

I won't get rid of the chickens and I'll likely always have chickens, because I perceive the minimal amount of diet supplementing I provide is more than compensated for by egg production. However, this example does raise interesting efficiency dilemas. Vegetarians claim it requires sixteen pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. Beef advocates balk at these numbers and stand behind one pound of beef requiring 2.6 pounds of grain. I regularly eat wheat for breakfast and enjoy Tri-Tip Roasts (beef) for dinner. If I wake up tomorrow and let efficiency, rather than tradition, dictate my meal plan, then wheat (or other grains) become the choice of reason. Wheat requires zero refrigeration and boasts a shelf life of 15 to 20 years. Before cooking and puffing up the wheat, I consume half a cup of raw wheat at each meal. The current price of a 50 pound bag of wheat is $10. This calculates to 3.1 cents per meal or $11.40 per year for breakfast. The 2.5 pound Tri-Tip Roast I enjoyed last night was 5.99 per pound. I spent more on one roast than one years worth of wheat consumption and supplied 360 less meals. The wheat cost savings alone allows for a huge rice and bean budget to replace the protein loss from my cherished Tri-Tip.

I'm no vegetarian, but I am frugal. The annual cost to fill my stomach on Tri-Tip beef is $1,093. If you're frugal and enjoy beef that costs $0.99 per pound, then your annual cost weighs in around $180. My thoughts on economy dictate a grain based diet supplemented by homegrown eggs and all the beef I can eat on Lynn's dime! Now, lets see if I can walk the talk!

At the very least, no kid in America should go hungry.

A future post will describe how I easily and efficiently cook wheat in an off-grid setting. This is the perfect cooking process for budget and energy conscious off-griders!

BULLSHIT!

To be fair, I suppose it could be heifer or cow shit. Either way it's conclusive...even in Montello you have to put up with some kind of shit.

Does it bother me when they laugh?

A few days ago my wife asked if it bothered me when others laugh about my Montello land purchase or other sustainable off grid living ideas? I think anyone laughing at something you care deeply about is cause for bother, but I'm able to step outside myself, and of them, and realize that each of us have our own unique dreams and motivations. I could speculate as to why others laugh, but I feel speculation would only be another form of laughter from me to them.

It doesn't matter what my dream is or if anyone else is interested in dreaming it with me. If my dreams require validation from others then I'll likely never realize any of my dreams. I've always found someone interested in laughing and someone eager to validate. The greatest compliment a person can pay themselves is in listening to their inner voice and taking their own advice....laughter or not!

The desert of Montello, Nevada is one of many places where the path is easy to walk and the advice is freely offered and quickly taken from self.

I think Don McLean amply sums up my feelings of the country, the city, our society, and my dream with his song “castles in the air”. Take a listen at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTqi7iEZEWA&feature=related

Why Montello?

Annual Property Taxes on 10 acres in Montello: $13.30

Annual property taxes on 0.17 acres in Utah: $1,030.00

And this scenery never hurts!!!!